Thinking Out Loud
by aussiebabe290
Summary: Bec Sanderson had it all- at 20, she was running Australia's most prestigious surfing school, playing mother hen to six wonderful teenagers, and had an amazing co-worker. But when the past wanders back into her life, Bec's stuck in the middle. Bec/Garry/Edge triangle. R&R


Bec Sanderson thought she had it pretty good. She woke up each morning to the best beach in the world, the one she was lucky enough to call home, and was greeted every morning by six awesome teenagers that were calling her mother hen for the year. And then there was her co-worker and housemate, who was amazing and not bad on the eye, either.

But despite this, she was still living in the house that she had called home for her sixteenth year and living among the memories. Falling madly, hopelessly, deeply in love, and having her heart shattered. Making the best friendships she could have ever asked for, with people she still kept in contact with.

But there was one person she didn't keep in contact with, and that was what had hurt her the most.

"Good morning!" Garry greeted her cheerfully and Bec yawned, accepting the cup of coffee he was offering her.

"It's weird you're so cheerful at this time of day", she informed him with another yawn. "It's weird".

"It's a beautiful day and I'm spending my morning with a beautiful woman", he said breezily, setting his own mug of coffee down with a grin.

They had been flirting shamelessly with each other for the past two months, and they both knew the kids had picked up on it. It was hard for them not to, Bec noted, because the weekend before she had fallen asleep on his shoulder while they watched a surfing DVD. Chaste kisses to cheeks had been exchanged, and while Bec wanted it to be more, she knew that she'd rather keep what they had, rather than ruin it with a relationship.

Although if she was honest, she'd much rather a relationship with him.

"Morning!" Bridget sang cheerfully, advancing down the stairs, tying her hair up into a bun. "Ready to go?"

"Must be something in the water", Bec muttered, lifting her coffee cup up again. "Why are you so cheerful this morning, Bridget? It's too early to be cheerful".

"It's a beautiful morning". Bridget shrugged, raising her voice towards the stairs. "Guy! You better not have gone back to sleep!"

"I'm coming!" Guy groaned loudly from the top of the stairs, trailing after Adam and Loren.

"Alright, let's hit the beach! Where are Charley and Cassie?" Garry wanted to know.

"Coming!" Cassie called, twisting her hair up in a ponytail. "Alright, let's go!"

Bec watched as Garry jogged down to the sand with the kids on his tail, yawning slightly as she sipped her coffee. She felt herself looking at him the same way that she had seen Edge- the surfie boy with the sparkling eyes and the grin that turned her insides into goo. Heath Carroll, four years ago, had nicknamed her the 'delicate local flower'. They had learned very quickly that while her outside was sharp, her insides were soft, but Edge had broken her.

Emotionally, too.

Which was why she was so wary of love.

He'd been her first real boyfriend- kisses behind the toilet blocks at school didn't count, and neither did sharing a beer at an underage party. He was the first one she had ever told that she loved him, and it had come back to bite her in the ass when he left on the pro circuit. For three months she'd shut herself off from the world, wondering what she was to do with her life now that her prince charming had ridden his white horse (or rather, his surfboard) off into the sunset without her.

It had all worked out in the end- and probably for the better. If she had gone on to win with Edge, she wouldn't be back in Blue Water with six amazing kids. She loved every moment of the job (okay, so the teenage temper tantrums were something she could live without. They were rare with the handful of kids she had but when they happened they shook the whole house).

And she wouldn't have met Garry.

"Thank you!" Garry said with a smile, advancing down the stairs after changing out of his training gear and accepting the second cup of coffee that Bec was handing him. It had become their morning routine- when he woke up he'd brew them a pot, and while they were training, Bec would make more.

"Hook up already", Cassie muttered as she passed through the kitchen, loud enough for only Bridget and Loren to hear. Bridget gasped loudly, smacking her arm and Loren burst into laughter.

"Good morning girls", Bec said with a raise of her eyebrow. "Everything alright there?"

"Just looking for our shoes", Loren said cheerily, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"She is the innocent one but that face terrifies me", Garry turned to Bec, the concern visible in her eyes. "What's going on over there girls?"

"Just getting some shoes". Bridget, still chuckling, moved into the pool room.

"There's a reason we have a shoe rack".

"Who's making lunch?" Adam hollered down the stairs.

What Bec didn't understand was how the three girls were able to have showers, get dressed and do their hair and makeup before one boy had a shower.

"You are!" Cassie called back up the stairs, opening the fridge and pulling out the milk. "Hey Bec, what day are you doing the groceries? Because we need-"

"Put it on the list", Garry cut her off. "That's why we have a list".

Bec chuckled and Cassie wrinkled up her nose at them, picking up a pen and tugging the list off the fridge.

"Teamwork kids", Garry reminded them.

When Bec was a student, Simmo and Deb had been all about teamwork, all about turning them into a family. And sixteen year old Bec had been firmly against that until her competitors had weaselled their way into her heart and she had no choice to love them. Sure, they may have been fishbowl friendships (or fishbowl love, in Edge's case). Twenty year old Bec, as cheesy as it was and as much as she hated it, was just as bad. So when she rolled her eyes at Garry (just like the kids), she loved it.

Once breakfast was over (the noisy banter only slightly dulled by the chewing of cornflakes), they dumped their bowls and grabbed their backpacks.

"Bye!"

"Wait, who's history assignment was in the printer?" Bec said.

"Got it!" Guy held up a sheaf of stapled paper, grinning.

"Good work Mother Hen". Charley smiled at her, before pulling the door shut behind them. "Bye!"

"Mother Hen", she snorted, moving the bowls into one half of the sink and pulling out the dishwashing liquid. "I'll give them Mother Hen…"

(Matt had devised that name for her four years ago and she had hated it, and loved it at the same time.)

"Bec, dinner", Garry said, as he wiped the table down from the spilt milk droplets.

"Charley and Loren".

"You're on the ball today!" he remarked. "No, I mean our dinner. Want to go and get dinner tonight?"

"What?"

"Just us", he clarified. "What do you think?"

"You asking me on a date, Miller?"

"Do you think it's a date, Sanderson?" he retorted, a pink tinge appearing in his cheeks.

"I think I'd like that". She blushed, looking down at the soapy water.


End file.
